


Baz smiles

by dark_as_pitch



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell, Simon Snow & Related Fandoms
Genre: Baz is v pretty, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Simon is so gone, Slow Burn, or as much Slow Burn as is possible in a 2k fic, so much fluff guys my god what have i done, takes place at Watford
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-20 12:54:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12433299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dark_as_pitch/pseuds/dark_as_pitch
Summary: Baz smiles. Simon loses his chill.





	Baz smiles

**Author's Note:**

> Everything belongs to the wonderful Rainbow Rowell.

The first time it happened Simon reacted in the way one would expect of him. A bit baffled, a bit suspicious and a lot shocked. Though you couldn’t really fault him for it as he’d never seen anything quite like it before. Baz smiling. But not in the cruel, detached way he normally did. There was no malice or motive. He simply looked amused by the little black kitten’s antics.

Because that’s what was happening (even though Simon was having serious doubts about whether he was or wasn’t dreaming at the time), Baz was sat under an old yew tree at the edge of the Wavering Wood with a cat jumping all over him and getting it’s claws caught in his uniform jumper.

It wasn’t particularly common for non-magical animals to hang around Watford as, like Normal humans, the sheer power in the atmosphere seemed to unsettle them. This little creature though seemed as carefree as can be, pawing against Baz’s chest and face. It was, however, Baz who was the strangest occurrence of that sunny morning.

His face was unlike Simon had ever seen it. All soft around the eyes and mouth quirked crookedly to one side. He looked… fond. And quiet, in an internal kinda way. It was no secret how intelligent and quick Baz was. He always looked like his brain was turning a mile a minute, always ten steps ahead of everyone else. Now though he was only focused on the ball of fluff walking all over him, and he looked, well, lighter somehow.

Simon was obviously staring blatantly, mouth slack. He felt the world tilt a bit, looking on with little more in his head than static. It was Saturday and he’d been walking along the Great Lawn enjoying the fresh air before he stopped dead in his tracks. Nothing had felt quite real since.

He watched as the cat got right up in Baz’s face and lightly touched it’s nose to his. Baz’s cheek’s reddened. Simon’s breath hitched.

Well, no, apparently it was closer to a gasp, because Baz immediately flicked his eyes up to Simon, ending the moment before anyone was even sure it started. His face hardened and his walls came slamming back down. He looked angry, like he’d been caught in a compromising situation.

Simon flailed. Flushing to the tips of his ears, he did a sharp one eighty and rushed back the way he came. He had sense enough to know that if he attempted to open his mouth, nothing but incoherent blustering would come out.

He spent the rest of the day unsettled and restless. He wanted to focus on what Baz was plotting. _Was it even a real cat? Was it some kind of secret dark creature?_ But all his brain could supply was warm cheeks and a shy smile on loop. For days.

 

*

 

The second time it happened Simon wasn’t much better prepared. It was a few weeks after what he referred to as The Incident in his head.

Simon woke up in his bed, but had not yet made any visible effort towards getting up. And so he figured his supposed still unconscious state was to credit for Baz’s unguarded expression. He too was still in bed (there was still some time before either of them had anywhere to be) and he was gazing out the closed window. He seemed pleased by the day’s weather, watching quietly as the rain drops hit the glass.

He was quite a sight to behold. He looked cosy, snuggled up in his blankets (he always got cold in the night). His hair for once wasn’t slicked back, rather it had fanned out on his pillow, pressed flat in some places and scrunched up in others. It was way-too-early-AM and Simon was still too sleep blurry to wonder why he was transfixed by the inky strand that had fallen over Baz’s forehead and lightly grazed the soft skin under his eye.

And Baz was smiling. Barely, but smiling none the less. It was small and content, not something for show but rather a simple reflection of an inner calm.

Simon (seeing as subtlety wasn’t his strongest quality) had forgotten he probably wasn’t supposed to be caught awake let alone openly watching his roommate without his knowing. So when Baz started to turn his head towards him, his attempt at looking innocent and asleep was probably subpar at best. But as the moment stretched it felt even weirder to come clean.

Simon feared the other boy could hear his heart thudding away in his chest (though he wasn’t entirely certain whether it was because of almost getting caught or something else) with his evil vampire super senses.

However, Baz didn’t do anything at all. That in itself said a lot about his mood, seemingly not deeming a reaction worth ruining the peace of the early hours.

Simon fell back asleep, mind quiet.

 

*

 

The third time was in the library.

Simon and Penny were sat at one of the long wooden desks with books and notes scattered all around them. It was early evening and they were reviewing and catching up on the week’s work before they made their way to dinner.

They were in a quieter part of the building, with only a few other students scattered around them. Of course Simon’s brain, having wandered away from the Ancient Greek proverbs, couldn’t help latching on to the tall figure lounging casually on the armchair in the corner.

Simon had his elbow on the table and his head in his hand, while his other gently tapped a pencil on the wood. He was looking towards Baz with his gaze unfocused, his mind thinking of how the other boy had huffed and puffed that morning because he couldn’t find the matching sock to the one he had just put on. Simon had seen it fall down the side of the bed but he didn’t owe him any favours, and besides, the sight of a tall intimidating vampire stomping around the room with one sock on and pouting had been the perfect start to the day.

Simon’s reverie shattered by a tiny sound. Penny didn’t seem to have noticed anything, or if she had she didn’t deem it worth investigating. Simon’s gaze sharpened and he realised that the sound had been a small huff of amusement from Baz. He was looking down at his book, the only sign of laughter being the barely there scrunch of his nose.

Simon wished he’d been paying attention so that he could have seen the full reaction. However, a few minutes later it seemed he’d get what he wanted and more, because Baz let out a chuckle.

Warmth settled deep in Simon’s chest, the sound ringing in his ears. He stared at crinkly eyes and a shinny smile. He felt the warmth travel all through his body and darken the skin of his neck and cheeks. His reaction confused him but he wasn’t really in a clear enough state to think about it.

Baz was still laughing quietly enough for nobody else to pay attention, but Simon felt the sound humming under his skin. Though that may have been his magic, because then Baz looked up right into his eyes.

Neither of them tried to look away this time. Baz still had traces of laughter lining his face and Simon felt his own mouth lifting at the corners. It was odd, they never had these sort of moments. Gazing at each other without malice or smoke pouring out just wasn’t something they _did_.

“Simon, you haven’t even started your essay!”

Simon blinked and turned to Penny with mumbled apologies and promising to get back to work. When he looked back at Baz, he’d returned to his book.

Throughout the rest of the evening, though, both boys kept stealing glances of the other.

 

*

 

Simon had become permanently preoccupied. It was nothing new to obsess over his evil roommate, but his train of thought was usually more about uncovering plots and less about how the early morning light catches on grey eyes.

Simon felt like his whole world had changed. And, yes okay, maybe he was being a bit dramatic, but he thought that Baz’s smile (or rather, his _ability_ to smile) was monumental enough to warrant such a reaction. He couldn’t stop thinking about the things that caused it, or wondering about what else might.

Since this whole revelation started, especially since The Incident Part III, things had been slightly more peaceful. They still bickered about nonsense as usual, but the explosive aggression just wasn’t there anymore. Sure, they were still on opposite sides of a war that seemed to be getting closer by the day and they hadn’t actually spoken and solved any of their issues, but. _They smile at each other now._

After the library, smiles between the two had graduated from non-existent to rare, which for them was a huge step towards – well, Simon didn’t quite know towards what but he certainly liked it more than fighting.

Of course they weren’t big public showy smiles. In fact, Simon very much doubted anyone else had noticed that anything had changed. Probably not even Penny (though one can never be sure with her, she’s scarily perceptive when she wants to be).

But the thing was, Simon’s mind was positively _fizzing_. How could he possibly focus on anything else when _Baz was smiling at him_. Genuinely and not because he’d just thrown him down the stairs.

Now, Simon wasn’t a particularly paranoid person (ahem), but he sometimes thought that Baz was doing it all on purpose. He was just too smart to not notice the way Simon reacted each time, because of course he had no hope of remaining cool and collected. It was like as soon as Baz’s eyes lit up, Simon’s brain blinked out.

The moments that convinced Simon that even though he didn’t understand what was happening he had to protect it at all costs, was when Baz reacted. It bore no comparison to Simon’s blood rushing to his face and his magic to his skin, but it was glorious to witness all the same. You could only tell if you were specifically looking, and, Crowley, was Simon looking.

Sometimes Baz would get slightly caught off guard by how openly Simon offered this particular flavour of affection they’d silently agreed on. His eyes would widen, pupils dilating (Simon almost choked when he first noticed that) and, if he’d recently fed, a dusting of pink would settle high on his cheekbones. It was a barely-there reaction, but Simon was slowly losing his mind all the same.

Baz had always been a permanent fixture in Simon’s thoughts but he was slowly coming to terms with how much more intense things were becoming for him (and for Baz too, he hoped). He stopped questioning himself when he noticed if Baz’s shoulders were a bit too tense and wondering if something in particular was bothering him. He stopped panicking when he got a bit too distracted by how handsome (he’d come to terms with that word too) he looked when he confidently aced class assignments.

He was obsessed. But he supposed that horse left the barn a while ago.

 

*

 

“What are you snickering at, Snow?”

“Your hair is all stuck to your face.”

“Yes, you look like a drowned cat too.”

“Hazards of running through the rain.” Simon shrugs. “I told you we should have waited it out at the dining hall.”

“If I’d let you stuff one more scone in your mouth, I’d have had to roll you back to our room.” But he’s smiling. Again. Merlin, he’s always smiling lately.

Simon is properly laughing now. He can feel the usual high that comes with talking with Baz like this settle into his bones and warm him from the inside out.

So (as he has apparently finally lost his mind) he raises his hand, smile growing shyer, and runs it through Baz’s damp hair, stopping once he reaches the back of his neck.

Baz inhales a little shakily but seems to settle when his eyes meet Simon’s.

They gaze at each other. They’ve known for a while now where this was heading. And they are finally, _finally_ ready. They smile at each other, and lean in.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this at 4AM because I literally couldn't get the idea of Simon melting at the sight of Baz's smile out of my head. So here, I hope you enjoyed this mess. <3


End file.
